


Learning

by Sephone_North



Series: Book 1: Judged [14]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aiko is a cheerful person, Even when she's introducing children to the floor, Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Hakoda is labelled Papa Wolf. It fits, Poor thing, Storm child is explained!, We learn some more Fire Nation history, Yue accidently touches on trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:14:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25710412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephone_North/pseuds/Sephone_North
Summary: Aiko starts her lessons. Azula challenges her. Hakoda is unsure of how he feels about Fire Nation training practices.
Relationships: Azula & Hakoda, Azula & Zuko & Yue, Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & Hakoda
Series: Book 1: Judged [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844545
Comments: 96
Kudos: 1223





	Learning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts).



> Aiko is fun to write. A master who isn't a jerk is always a good character to add. 
> 
> Here we pull from real world history to create fictional historical characters. Here's the list, because I worked hard on it and kind of want to flex, lol. 
> 
> Anish the Inferno is based on Atilla the Hun. Anish means Ruler, which is also the rough translation of Attila. 
> 
> Ran Sumire is Hua Mulan. Ran and Mulan both mean Orchid. Sumira is violet, which in Hanakotoba (Japanese flower language) means Honesty. I think the idea of a woman named after honesty pretending to be something she isn't is amusing. 
> 
> And of course, Sun Wu is Sun Tzu. Tzu is actually a title meaning Master, and Sun Wu was his birth name. The attributed quote is not actually a Sun Tzu quote (I made it up), but it sounds like something from the Art of War. 
> 
> And a summer storm is a hurricane. I live in Florida, which is why my opinions on hurricanes are similar to those of the ocean. Nature is not a kind thing and gives to cares to any of us.
> 
> Edit: I also realized I have two stories in two fandoms named Learning. Whoops. I’m a creative genius, y’all

Hakoda was always awake at daybreak, enjoying the shift more than the other night options. Bato tended to take the first night shift, while Tuluk took deadman’s watch. Hakoda was the one to get up early, to set the men on holystoning and swabbing, and to make sure the day started right. He also got the joy of watching the kids train. 

Today was the first day with Aiko, who was already climbing up to the wheelhouse, a smile on her face. He wasn’t sure of what to make of the woman yet. She seemed young, mid-twenties, but generally cheerful. She didn’t take offense at some of the glares or looks the men had given her. She was polite and actually seemed happy to be here. 

She’d be tested today though. Hakoda had seen the princess’s glares. He almost felt sorry for the woman. 

“Good morning, sir,” she called, grinning. “Easy night?”

“It hasn’t been bad,” Hakoda replied, warily. She didn’t seem to notice. 

“That’s good to hear,” she leaned against the railing to watch him. “I’m not sure if my colonel explained exactly why he wanted me aboard.”

“I imagined it was to make sure we weren’t corrupting your royals,” was his dry reply.

She laughed. “Oh, that’s funny. Honestly, I’d rather them in your hands than in the late Prince’s.” She whispered conspiratorially, leaning forward. “Prince Ozai was not a nice man, and he never seemed to treat his family well.” She leaned back. “It’s a bit simpler than that, actually. My job is to help them with their firebending and general knowledge.” 

“Azula suspected the bending training,” he said, not sure if he was happy he was proven right about their father. “General knowledge?” He raised an eyebrow. 

She raised her hands in surrender, “I’m not insinuating that you aren’t teaching them,” she said quickly. “But there are some things that are just Fire Nation. Politics, history, stuff like that.”

He nodded. “Okay. I can’t teach them that. They have been running the budgets of the ship.”

She clapped brightly. “Oh, excellent! One of the things I had thought of doing was seeing if they could budget for a battalion marching.” She scrunched her nose “it was the first thing my teachers made me do in officer training. I nearly flunked out because of math alone.”

He snorted, making her smile again. She tilted her head and looked up at the sky. “They want to stop the war, right?” She asked quietly. 

“Yes,” he answered. “The spirits have asked them to.”

“Good.” She met his eyes. “This war has gone in for too long.” She glanced over to see all three royals making their way to the deck. “I want to do my part to end it, so I’m not going to hurt them.” She shot him a sly smile. “So don’t go Papa Wolf on me, okay?” she winked. 

He blinked in surprise, as she bounced off, cheerfully greeting the kids. Yue and Zuko greeted her with small smiles, though Azula was glaring already. 

“I would like to test both of you before we really start,” Aiko said. “We’ll test meditation first, then basic forms. Then we can cold spar for a little bit. Do either of you use weapons?” 

Zuko nodded, “I use dual Dao,” he said, though he seemed hesitant. Hakoda remembered his comment about Azula wanting to learn archery and winced. No doubt the boy was expecting a reprimand. 

Aiko nodded with a large grin. “A good choice! Those require great balance and skill to master. Princess?” She asked, turning to Azula.

Those golden eyes narrowed. “Daggers, only.” She said quietly. 

“A excellent choice for a noble lady,” Aiko said. “Easy to hide in clothing and gowns, good to use when fire would catch unwanted attention,” she turned to Yue. “You’re not a fire bender, correct?”

“Oh, no!” Yue answered, waving her hands slightly. Both of the siblings straightened slightly, wary. 

Aiko laughed. “I wanted to ask, just in case,” she explained. “Do you have any weapons you use?” 

“Um, Azula has been teaching me how to use a dagger.” Yue said. “And hand to hand.” She flushed. “I panicked though, when we were attacked.” 

“Hey,” the woman softened her voice. “That’s okay. No one is expecting you to fight in a battle. You’re a kid.”

Yue shook her head, “Azula fought though,” she protested. 

“The princess is an imperially trained fire bender,” Aiko replied dry. “It would’ve been even odder if she didn’t fight.” 

This sparked the Fire princess’s ire. “And what is that supposed to mean?” she snarled, puffing up. Aiko looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“A dragon doesn’t flee unless they’re dying,” She replied calmly. She eyed the painted bone necklace around Azula’s neck. “And you are a dragon, correct?” 

There was something in the statement that lit Azula’s temper. She stepped forward, blue fire beginning to lick up her arms. Hakoda watched Yue step back, eyes wide, as Zuko stepped forward.

Aiko didn’t flinch. She just met Azula’s eyes, before her lips curled in a lazy smile. “A little dragon, I suppose.” She drawled, shifting her weight back slightly. “Do I scare you, little one?” 

Hakoda almost interrupted, seeing that she was goading Azula. But he paused, when he saw Zuko’s face. The boy was pulling Yue back as he retreated to the edges, pointing her to the wheelhouse. They slipped over, keeping their eyes on the two female firebenders. 

“Competing dragons,” Zuko said quietly when they reached him. “It was an old thing between imperial firebenders. You have to fight to figure out if you can respect one another,” 

“Why aren’t you down there?” Hakoda asked, as he watched Azula struggle with her desire to fight. 

Zuko grimaced. “Some benders feel the dragon’s call more than others. Especially the powerful ones.” He shrugged. “Aiko isn’t a threat to me. I don’t know why, but I don’t need to test her. Azula does.” 

“Perhaps it’s because she’s become used to being the powerful female on board?” Yue asked. 

“Not quite,” He blinked. “She’s always been the better bender. That’s why.” 

“What happens if she loses?” Hakoda asked warily. 

Zuko glanced up. “I can put out any of the fires,” He said instead of answering. Which Hakoda guessed was an answer in itself. 

There was a shift in the air, and Azula struck. She shot forward, hands snapping out towards Aiko’s face. The woman simply moved with her, dodging airly. There was something unhurried about her moves. Azula could sense it, he could tell. 

Azula knew the rule about wooden boats and fire, but somewhere in her building frustration, it started to slip. She spun, her foot lashing up to blast fire at the older woman. Aiko held up a hand and breathed out, and the fire went out before it reached her. Azula’s eyes widened, and she growled, before punching fire forward. 

He wanted to interrupt, to stop the fire rolling across the deck, but Zuko’s hand on his arm stopped him. The prince wasn’t concerned, and the chief realized that he wasn’t putting the fires out. Aiko was, breathing out in a steady rhythm that kept any fire from actually scorching the deck. 

Azula backed up, panting slightly, hands clenched. The Captain wasn’t breathing hard, just calmly watching. Azula bared her teeth, which made the woman shake her head. “Too much anger, little dragon,” She chided sharply, amused. Azula let out a screech and charged forward. 

Aiko’s smile didn’t waver, bet she stopped dodging. She grabbed Azula’s wrist and twisted, sweeping her off her feet in one easy movement. The Princess gasped as she dropped to the ground, and Aiko pinned a knee to her back, wrapped a hand in her hair and pressed her face into the deck.

Aiko leaned over and whispered something in Azula’s ear. It made the princess hiss, fire blooming out of her mouth. The Captain just laughed and leaned back. In a moment, she shifted slightly, so that instead of pushing Azula to the ground, she was sitting lightly on her. 

Hakoda had started to move the moment Azula had her face pressed against the ground, but Zuko’s actions stopped him. The Prince slid down the railing to the deck and stormed towards the two girls. 

“That’s enough,” He said sharply. Aiko turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve made your point, Captain. Now let her up.” His voice was an order, full of authority that Hakoda had never heard before. 

The Captain jumped to her feet and bowed to Zuko, making the flame with her hands. She then turned to extend a hand out to Azula. The princess was sitting up, glaring at her. There was a pause, but she took the hand, letting the woman pull her up. She crossed her arms and sniffed. 

“Azula, go see the Chief,” Zuko said, his eyes never leaving Aiko. The captain shifted slightly, rooting her stance, grinning. Azula rolled her eyes and glanced back at the wheelhouse, to meet Hakoda’s eyes. 

He watched concerned as she went white. She swayed and shot a panicked look to her brother. “I don’t-” She started. Zuko looked over and blinked. He looked back to the Chief, who just raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

Hakoda glanced at Yue, who was making her way down, looking concerned. She stopped next to Azula, reaching out to grip her elbow. She murmured something, to which Azula whispered back. The white haired princess blinked and shook her head. She changed her grip and started dragging a protesting fire princess behind her straight to him. 

Yue pushed Azula towards him, face determined. The fire princess flinched and stood before him, shoulders hunched around her ears. He tilted his head, and then realized what she was waiting for. 

She was waiting for him to hit her. 

“Azula,” He said quietly, making her jerk slightly. He paused, trying to figure out how to continue. 

She shuddered, before bursting out, “I apologize for using fire on the ship!” She flinched again, taking a step back. Yue looked up, eyes wide and confused. 

“You know what you did wrong,” He said quietly. “And you didn’t set anything on fire. If you had, your punishment would be to fix what was burned. That would be it, do you understand?” He knelt down on one knee, having to look up at her slightly. She stared at him, confused. He reached out his hand slowly to which she looked at, twitching back slightly. 

“Azula,” He said softly. She looked up at him. “I will never hurt you, Sunshine.” He didn’t move his hand closer or farther away. She just seemed lost. “If you do something wrong, you will make amends. But no one will ever hit you. Do you understand?” 

“But, wha-” She blinked and rubbed her eyes. “I don’t- What?” 

“I won’t hit you. And neither will anyone else on this ship,” He said quietly. “I swear.” 

Azula sniffed, but closer to a sob rather than her usual haughtiness. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her into his arms. She placed her face in his shoulder and cried. Yue just looked stricken behind her, tears in her eyes. 

He rose, pulling her up with him. He kept her against his chest with one arm and grabbed the wheel with his other. His eyes narrowed down at Aiko, who was walking behind Zuko towards them. 

“Is she okay?” the Captain asked gently. 

“She’s fine,” He gruffly snapped. He glared at her, contemplating how to throw her off the side. She blinked and sighed. 

“Dragons and wolves, oh my,” She muttered. She straightened into parade rest. “I apologize if I startled the princess. However, it was necessary.” 

“I don-” Hakoda started, but Zuko interrupted.

“She’s correct,” He said quickly. “It was necessary, and Azula knows it.” Hakoda felt a nod against his shoulder. 

“Explain,” He growled. 

Aiko bit back a smile and nodded. “Competing dragons is an issue in older benders gaining new teachers. We get it all the time with overconfident kids joining the ranks. And since this particular bender is a prodigy, well, she needed to realize she’s not the top dragon.” Her mouth turned up in a right grin. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a baby dragon with that much storm in them.” 

Both firebenders gasp, and Azula leaned back to stare at the soldier. “What?” She asked. 

“You’re a storm dragon,” Aiko said, then she tilted her head. “I suppose the more modern term is storm child.” 

“You know what a storm child is,” Zuko breathed. Hakoda looked between the three of them. Aiko nodded, a little confused herself. 

“I’m surprised you know what it is, honestly. I didn’t think the royal family believed in the old terms,” she shrugged. “The terms trace back to the Warring Islands Era. It was part of the titles we used to speak about the people born to more than one element.” She started counting off on her fingers, “There were storm dragons, hearth dragons, eruptive dragons, tsunami dragons, and those are just the names that survived to now.” 

“Other nations came to the Islands?” Zuko asked. 

“No,” Aiko shook her head. “This was going to be part of our history lesson, but I guess teaching is adapting.” She grinned. “Back in the Warring Islands Era, the Avatar’s spiritual reach didn’t quite extend to the Fire Islands. A volcano isn’t made of fire. It’s made of all four elements. Magma is melted earth, with water that allows it to flow. Gases twist beneath the service. It’s a huge amount of heat, yes, but it’s also every element. Once upon a time, the Fire Nation was like that.”

She settled against the railing. “People could be born with any type of bending. The Yamabushi, the mountain people, tended to tip towards air. The shoreline was full of waterbenders. Earthbenders and firebenders were both needed to keep the volcanos from killing entire islands. Then the wars started happening. Agni grew angry and created the Dragon Throne. And then the Avatar came.” 

“What did they do?” Yue asked, leaning forward, engrossed in the story. 

“The Avatar decreed that it was the spirit’s will that the world would be in balance. But balance meant separation. No longer would every element be born in the islands. Only fire.” She smiled conspiratorially. “They did try to remove the people already born to those elements, but that didn’t go so well. Kiyohime was very protective of her people.” 

“Kiyohime attacked the Avatar?” Azula questioned, eyes wide. 

Aiko shook her head. “Kiyohime killed the Avatar. However, the damage was already done. No more  _ Kaji de Umareta _ .” 

“What?” Hakoda blinked. 

“‘Born in Fire,” Zuko translated. “It’s High Court.” 

“You speak High Court?” Aiko asked, pleased. 

“It’s one of the few things I was better at than Azula,” He replied, proudly. His sister rolled her eyes. 

Hakoda added comments like that to things he was going to have to fix. 

Aiko seemed bothered by it as well, but didn’t say anything. “Anyways, back to the storm child. There are many types of storm children. It depends on the amount of fire and air mixing in them.” She leaned in to Azula. “You’re a summer storm,” She said with a nod, smiling. 

“A summer storm?” Yue asked, confused. 

“They develop near the end of summer,” Zuko explained. “They’re large storms of high winds and a lot of rain. They build up over the ocean. They also generate really big waves called storm surges. They can wipe out entire islands.” 

Aiko nodded. “Before Sozin, there were dragons who took on the duty of warning islands when a summer storm was coming. Now, we use ships and messenger hawks.” 

“Is a summer storm child a bad thing?” Hakoda asked.

“No, not at all.” The captain waved her hands in front of her. “Summer storm children are rare and different. Like a summer storm, they aren't predisposed to mercy. Some can be monsters, while others are heroes.” Hakoda felt Azula flinch slightly against him. “I know that Anish the Inferno was a summer storm. He conquered almost all the islands, before three dragons allied to kill him. He was known for some ruthless conquest, including massacring entire villages. 

“But,” She added, seeing Azula curl up against him. “Ran Sumire was also a Summer Storm Child.” 

“No way,” Zuko said excitedly. Azula turned and stared at Aiko. 

“She was?” 

“Yes,” Aiko nodded with a smile. “Ran Sumire was a hero who went to war in her father’s place. She won against warlords and was offered the position herself. Instead, she allied with an ancient dragon spirit and became a protecting spirit of the islands.” 

“She’s Azula’s favorite story.” Zuko added. 

“When I was a baby!” His sister protested. 

“Kids,” Hakoda said with a smile, cutting the fight off at the start. He looked at Aiko who raised an amused eyebrow. “You were planning on testing their firebending, right?” he asked. She nodded. “Alright. There are rules for you.” 

“I think I can guess them, papa wolf,” She mused. “And don’t worry. I’ve never been one to believe that a burn or slap smartens a student up. Besides, usually, sitting on a student teaches them that I deserve respect.” She eyed Azula who looked back. “Do you think you can learn from me, little dragon?” 

The princess bit her lip, but nodded. “I suppose you’re capable enough,” She said haughtily. Hakoda leaned down to set her on her feet. She glanced back at him before looking away, a small flush to her cheeks. Her brother grinned at her and she punched him in the arm as she made her way to the deck. Yue sighed in relief as Zuko rubbed his arm with a whine. 

“Should I attend?” the water princess asked the Captain. “I know you mentioned meditation and bending, and I’m not-.” 

“Meditation is a good skill for anyone to learn,” Aiko interrupted kindly. “And bending forms can be adapted to non-benders too. Besides, all knowledge learned is an advantage earned.” 

“That’s a Sun Wu quote,” Zuko said, following after his sister. 

“Very good, Zuko,” The Captain praised, smiling. “Come on, Princess. I’m sure I can teach you something useful.” 


End file.
